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Thursday, July 31, 2014

Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to Maryland to Engage in Sexual Activity with a Minor

Contacted 13-Year Old Victim Through a Social Networking Site

Gregory King, 28, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in
connection with contacting a 13-year-old girl over the Internet and
traveling across state lines to engage in sexual activity with her.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice
Department’s Criminal Division, United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein
of the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt
of the FBI’s Baltimore Division made the announcement.

King pleaded guilty to one count of coercion of a minor to engage in
sexual activity and one count of traveling with intent to engage in
illicit sexual contact with a minor.
He was initially charged by indictment on Feb. 14, 2014.

According to King’s plea agreement, on Oct. 9, 2013, he initiated a chat
with a girl on a social networking site whose profile indicated that
she was 13 years old. Throughout October and November 2013, King and
the victim exchanged sexually explicit photographs and engaged in
sexually explicit conversations. On Oct. 30, 2013, King chatted with
the victim about coming to her house in Maryland, telling her that he
would take a bus from Washington, D.C. The victim provided King with
her address, but King was not able to get to the victim’s house that
night.
King continued to chat with the victim and on Nov. 21, 2013, shortly
after the victim’s 14
th
birthday, again discussed coming to her home. King took a bus from
Washington, D.C. on the same date and met the victim at her home, where
he spent the night. King was arrested on Jan. 19, 2014.

As part of his plea agreement, King must register as a sex offender
under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 15, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide
initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat
the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s
Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood
marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and
prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and
rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit
www.justice.gov/psc
. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit
www.justice.gov/psc
and click on the “resources” tab on the left of the page.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Laurel Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney LisaMarie Freitas of
the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristi O’Malley of the District of Maryland.